A Simple Glossary of Vintage Fashion Terms – Part 2

Continuing from our last article about vintage clothing terms, this article explains more about vintage dress construction elements and accessories. It’s a handy guide if you’re looking out for genuine or reproduction vintage! So get your texts books out and learn these terms!
Zibellino – A fur stole (hopefully fake these days!) worn draped over the shoulder or over an arm, it was often worn by women in the 16th century, but it made a resurgence in style in the 30s and 40s.
Welt – A type of vintage stocking where the garter is attached, so they stay up themselves and look more decorative. Popular with women before the advent of tights.
Wristlet– A little bag, smaller than a clutch bag, worn with a strap that wraps around the wrist. Popular in the Victorian era and twenties.
Velveteen – Faux velvet, much less expensive and just as beautiful, often made into dresses in the 80s.
Taffeta – A thick, satin-like material that is often iridescent. It’s quite a stiff material and it is good for making formal wear if you’re looking for lots of volume in your dress!
Tea-Length – Where the hem of your dress falls just below the calf, a popular length for suits and dresses in the 1940s and 50s.
Teashade Sunglasses – Remember the round-framed sunglasses popularised by John Lennon in the sixties? Those are teashades, and they’re back in fashion at the moment.
Toile De Jouy – A fabric you’ll often see in French themed rooms and in pretty vintage homeware stores like Laura Ashley, it’s typically printed scene of the countryside or of 16th century people on an off-shite background.
Tulle – Beautiful, delicate net fabric used in fascinators, and in petticoats and dresses to give them plenty of volume.
Turban – A close fitting head wrap. It started as a traditional garment in the east, but it was popularised with western ladies in the 1910s and 20s.
Susurrus – The soft, rustling sound of fabric! It is often a sound that is romanticized, especially in antique frou-frou styles and fifties dresses.